Kendall Lewis ready to relinquish crown

Kendall Lewis, Miss Rain Day 2012, will crown her successor Sunday at the 2013 pageant at the Waynesburg High School auditorium.

WAYNESBURG – The third time’s the charm.

For Kendall Lewis, this phrase couldn’t be any truer because her third run at the Miss Rain Day pageant led to her victory in 2012.

“Ever since I was little, I attended the festival,” said Lewis. “I always looked up to the queen, and always wanted to have that crown and be a princess.”

And as she grew up, her drive grew as well.

“As I got older and learned about how much responsibility Miss Rain Day has and all the volunteer work she does, it made me want to win even more,” said Lewis.

Once Lewis decided she was going to follow her dream, her family and friends became a strong and steadfast support system that never let her down.

“My mom has always been there for me,” said Lewis. “Even though I had already competed twice before in the pageant and didn’t win, my mom pushed me to never give up.”

Lewis would practice for hours and hours every day to make sure she would give a perfect performance. Her family even went to the point of spray painting their yard as a stage so she could practice her walking.

“The interview part I had to practice the most,” said Lewis. “It was the hardest part for me to learn how to speak clearly.”

But like they say, third time’s the charm. All the hard work and determination paid off for Lewis during her third Miss Rain Day pageant when she heard her name called as the winner.

“I honestly don’t think there is a word that could describe what I felt. I was just overwhelmed with joy,” said Lewis.

Her year as Miss Rain Day began, and quickly took off. Lewis was surprised with how busy she became due to her new title, but she said that she made some of the best memories.

One of her accomplishments she is most proud of as Miss Rain Day is a benefit walk she recently hosted to raise money for Alzheimer’s research.

“I was emotionally involved because my grandmother is suffering from Alzheimer’s disease,” said Lewis. “And I am so proud of myself and everyone else for raising $2,000 for the research.”

Now the time has come for Lewis to hand over her crown and let another girl follow in her footsteps.

“I am sad my year is at an end, but happy knowing that another girl will have the same great experience that I had,” said Lewis.

Although she is sad to give up her crown, she is more than happy that someone else will get to live out their dreams when they become Miss Rain Day 2013. Lewis has actually spent time with the new contestants, helping with golf outings and attending musicals. They were even able to attend a Wild Things game where Lewis threw the first pitch.

Lewis is looking forward to another girl having her dreams come true this coming Rain Day.

“My advice is for her to truly use her title to the fullest,” said Lewis. “It is up to her to be the Miss Rain Day that she wants to be.”

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